Top in ID: COVID-19 vaccine efficacy, STI prevalence

Moderna said that its COVID-19 vaccine protects against newly emerging variants, but it will study the possibility of using a booster dose to enhance immunity. The announcement was the top story in infectious disease last week.

Another top story was about CDC data that showed approximately 20% of people in the United States in 2018 had a sexually transmitted infection at some point.

Read these and more top stories in infectious disease below:

Moderna says COVID-19 vaccine protects against variants, but will explore adding booster

Moderna said that its COVID-19 vaccine remains protective against newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, including those first identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa. Read more.

Around 20% of people in US have an STI, CDC finds

Data suggest that in 2018, around 20% of people in the United States had an STI at some point, with almost half of new infections occurring among people aged between 15 and 24 years, CDC researchers reported. Read more.

Merck ends development of two COVID-19 vaccine candidates

Merck said it has discontinued development of two COVID-19 vaccine candidates. Read more.

For the first time, researchers say infusions of antibodies can prevent HIV infection

Researchers demonstrated for the first time that infusions of antibodies can prevent HIV infection. Read more.

Injectable PrEP could be ‘discreet’ HIV prevention option for women

Injectable cabotegravir administered every 8 weeks was associated with approximately nine times fewer HIV infections among cisgender women than daily oral PrEP, according to the results of a phase 3 trial. Read more.